Quite often I have been approached by individuals wanting money to buy gasoline for their car. They always have a detailed story about going somewhere for a job or their kids, a medical problem or some such important mission and they ran out of gas.

I found that the perfect solution to see if they are sincere about their situation is to offer to give them some gas for their car.

I always keep a can in my truck for emergencies but whenever I offer to give them some gas, they always take off and head for someone else.

I have never been able to give away any free gas to these people in such dire need of gas.

Nah, it's a scam Amos. We got a bunch of guys here working in traffic (which is dangerous as well as illegal) with the same signs... "Trying to get home to *****... hungry." or similar.

I posted a while ago about one guy with a sign like that. He wasn't in traffic. He looked rough. Me mum asked me to go back and give him some coin after we passed, which I was gonna do anyway after I got her inside the grocery store. She shelled out and so did I. Next two lotto draws, the money came back. Mum said, "Cast thy bread...." If so, I think it's because the guy we gave the coin to really was down and out. No matter as it made us both feel good to help him... he REALLY looked bad.

The guys I saw in traffic looked fit enough to work but, even so, ya can't run em over eh?

Any time I am approached by a person with a gas can and a story I suggest they would do better at a gas station asking people to just put a drop in the can as they are filling up. Same response every time, a dirty look and they walk away. Makes me long for the days of honest begging, "Hey, can you spare any change?"

Sandra in Sydney, I had the same experience in Derby. Youth putting out a sob story about how he needs food approached me and a lady when we were at a parking machine, so I offered to take himn to a shop round the corner and buy him some food. And yes, I got swore at too.

One day during my first stint in college, I had a really long scraggly beard, long hair, and was dressed in cords, and raggedy tye dies...and walked around barefoot. I was in a quickie mart buying a bag of top cigarette tobacco, and kept pulling out pennies, nickels, and dimes...and came up short...the guy behind me contributed the final coin. Then, I thanked him and went out to the bus stop to go to school, and the guy comes out and hands me some money, telling me to buy food. I was shocked, never been mistaken for a bum before...but I just thanked him again and went to school, bought coffee and a diskette to put my homework on.

THE hours are long and the work monotonous, but begging pays well for at least one of Sydney's homeless men who earns up to $50,000 a year from good samaritans.

Ken Johnson, 52, makes his living on busy George and Market St, outside the Myer store in Sydney's CBD, where he sits for up to 16 hours daily, seven days a week.

On a good day, he said, he takes in $400 from generous passers-by.

On slower days, he still picks up amounts between $75 and $150.

"I'd be really disappointed if I did a long Friday and I only had $250," said Mr Johnson, who has been living on the streets "since the late '90s".

"I knock off when I feel like it, or if I've done brilliantly. But on those good days, you might be on such a high that you go for a few more hours and get a bit more money."

Mr Johnson wouldn't say how much he earned last year. But he did reveal that donated coins and notes are stashed in a safe place, before being taken to a bank branch and deposited in his account several times a week. Some of the money is given to a friend.

Asked what he used the money for, he told The Sunday Telegraph he did not smoke, drink nor take drugs, but was raising money to help the friend who needs a liver transplant.

Mr Johnson displays a sign that reads: "Needing support for major family exp(enses) including just heaps for medicine. Paying up is a big grind. Please leave me alone, if you are the abusive nasty sort."

When The Sunday Telegraph caught up with him last Wednesday, business had been good.

In 20 minutes, he collected $30 in coins and notes. One woman handed him $10.

"I've had three hours off today," he said, after treating himself to a breakfast from Hungry Jack's.

"I got a $20 note earlier, so I'm sitting on about $60 for the day and the afternoon rush is still to come.

"There's a general rule in donating and that is that people are more likely to help out when they are towards the end of their day, when they're happy and heading home."

Mr Johnson said he could not afford to rent and lived on the streets because the money had been spent to pay for bills for his friend.

"Most hostels don't have space to store things and to rent a small unit just costs too much when you're at stress point," he said.

Originally from Newcastle, he said he came to Sydney "in the 1990s" to fight a court battle against the RTA, seeking to have part of the Pacific Highway at Swansea deemed illegal.

"Inner-city accommodation was, and still is, just off the face of the earth - it's just too expensive," he said.

"I was unemployed at the time, so decided to sleep on some concrete steps while I was in Sydney and I just got used to it."

Australian Bureau of Statistics figures from the 2006 Census show 27,374 homeless people in NSW.

An Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS) spokeswoman said "rough sleepers" represented about 16 per cent of the homeless.

She said many turned to begging because government welfare did not cover costs, and "for those who do receive income support, payments may be inadequate to meet the costs of temporary accommodation and food. The Newstart unemployment payment is about $32 a day.

"Of those who do sleep on the street, only a tiny minority choose to do so, as a lifestyle choice. For most people who are homeless, there is no choice."

Utah Phillips used to say that a panhandler needed a good 'gaff,' that the story the person told while asking for money, ought to be interesting and entertaining. I admit that if a person has an unusual or creative story, I'm much more likely to be generous.

Usually, I give through organizations, but I often give to panhandlers, too. Offering lodging is a real commitment. The local motels want me to sign a promise to pay for any damages - paying for a night's lodging isn't enough. I got a kick out of it when somebody I know brought a homeless couple over from another church, because "the Catholics will know how to handle it."

A mentally retarded woman I know, hit me up for money at the supermarket. Since I knew her, I gave her twenty bucks - and felt really good about myself for doing that. My friend Vera has a group home with five mentally retarded men, and Vera knows the woman. I got a good scolding from Vera, because Vera says the woman spends all her money on candy. Oh, well.

I've given money to people claiming to be out of gas. I run out of gas and ask for money, too. Today I ran out of gas and got a lift to the gas station and a lift back from strangers. Love my town. But I *did* have the money FOR the gas, for a change.

Amos is more aware of what is happening in Texas than what is happening in his own state.

As for my "scary attitude", I carry a gas can for emergencies. For my self and others who run out if gas. I have been helped out before and I have returned the favor.

The last time I ran out, I swore it would never happen again and I would help anybody else that ran out.

I remember a somewhat distant relative who hadn't held a job for years. While meeting him at his grandmothers house, he said he had a job interview in 30 minutes but he had no way to get there so he couldn't go.

I said I would take him there and 30 minutes was plenty if time to get there. He immediately presented additional "reasons" he couldn't go.

Offering to provide whatever the beggar claims is needed (food, gas, bus ride, etc.) seems the best course of action. If there is a real need, it's taken care of. If it's a scam, the solicitor will usually make a hasty retreat.

When a tall, husky boy, about 16 years old, asked me for money for bus fare I offered to accompany him to the bus stop and pay his fare. He didn't want that. He returned to a group of friends whom I hadn't noticed standing some distance away. I'm a short, plump, gray-haired woman, I don't think I frightened him away. I wonder what they really were collecting money for?

A couple of years ago there was an article in a local paper by a social worker asking people not to give money to beggars. One of his clients had been begging on the main street in Leamington Spa in the two weeks leading up to Christmas. He made £1800 which he blew on drink and drugs in the following two weeks.

My partner's daughter was on her way to a job in a school South of the Thames. As she approached the toll bridge she realised she had no money. She pulled into a petrol (gas) station, told her story to an employee (could have been manager) and was offered the toll.

Listen...........so,uh...........hmmmm............So like any of you folks who are cool with this bumming stuff like, uh.....then maybe you could send me a C note for gas..........I mean Karen drives about 500 miles a week going to work and all so that would get her back and forth a few times.......................or maybe just send a credit card in your name.............or how about a bag of weed and we can forget the gas?

I've been approached several times with the story of "my little boy has had an accident. Can you lend me cab fare to get him to hospital." The first time it happened it was a new scam to me. I said to the guy, "where do you live?" He said "just round the corner". I said "Hold on a minute, I'll get my car keys and give you a lift to the hospital, it'll be quicker." He said, "OK, I'll just go and get my son." Surprise, surprise, he didn't come back. But I did see him an hour or so later, a couple of streets away trying the same scam.

Now if I get asked, I always offer a lift. No one's taken me up on my offer yet.